American Eat Co. will officially open on April 3, nearly 18 months after south Tucson developers the Common Group began transforming the former American Meat Co. into an indoor food court.
Tenants, which includes six restaurants, an ice creamery, coffee shop, market and bar, held a friends-and-family night Thursday as a trial run leading up to the opening, said Common Group's Jesus Bonillas.
Hours effective April 3 will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave., was expected to open in February, but was held in limbo while gas lines were replaced, tested and inspected. The final inspections and permits came this week, Bonillas said.
Common Group invested more than $1 million to buy and renovate the 8,000-square-foot building, which they bought from the Islas family in late 2016. Generations of the Islas family had run American Meat Co., a popular neighborhood butcher shop and market, for 62 years until they closed in 2015.
American Eat Co. is the latest and largest venture for Common Group, which includes Bonillas's partner Guillermo Gallegos. The south side developers for the past several years have bought and renovated distressed commercial properties mostly in the core south side area near Interstate 19. Projects include the sprawling Shoppes at Irvington in a former car dealership on West Irvington Road and Plaza Prieta Linda on South 12th Avenue.
